Manistee’s Little River Casino Resort Remains a Hub Between Physical and Online Gambling in Michigan

28 September 2026

Manistee’s Little River Casino Resort continues to anchor local gaming as Michigan’s online market booms. The 24/7 casino at 2700 Orchard Highway offers 1,500+ slots and popular table games, while also hosting a 1,600-seat events center and 292-room hotel. Little River’s 2020 launch of a River Rock Sportsbook, which partners with mobile betting platform BetRivers, reflects the broader expansion of digital wagering options in the state.

With a 2021 launch date for online casino gaming and sports betting in Michigan, Little River Casino Resort capitalized on the new digital play ecosystem. A year after iGaming arrived in the state, Michigan casino operators saw a surge in revenue. They generated nearly $2 billion in online gaming revenue in 2023. Last year, that figure was $1.5 billion, so Michigan's iGaming revenue was up by 25% in twelve months. Statewide iGaming tax revenue in 2023 included $459.2 million for the state, $112.4 million for Detroit, and $53.9 million for tribal governments.

Michigan's rapidly growing digital gambling industry is being mirrored across the country. Among seven states with legal sports betting that released calendar-year 2023 gambling revenue, Pennsylvania topped the list, generating $5.8 billion in online gaming revenue. Michigan ranked second, behind Pennsylvania, in iGaming revenue.

This puts casinos like Little River in a good position to further capitalize on the digital gambling boom. Caesars' $2.3-million investment last July to launch a third branded online casino live dealer studio in Michigan underscores the importance of physical casinos investing in the digital realm.

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Caesars’ Michigan studio includes five blackjack tables, one roulette table, and one baccarat table. It lets in-person casino gambling and online offerings align in an ever-increasing symbiotic digital-to-live casino ecosystem.

The result is new possibilities at casinos like Little River in being able to serve online players and in-person players alike—even when out-of-state. Little River's gaming options online and on-site strengthened the casino’s hold as a local gambling destination.